music

Utah Theatre Log 10/6-10/21 (Bright Star, Mousetrap, Great Expectations, Ballet Hispanico, The Shining) (Rachel’s Theatre Log 204)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre friends! I have a bunch of shows to update you on that I saw as a patron not as a critic. If you are new to my site I do full theatre reviews for shows I am invited to review as a critic and then do these shorter logs for the rest of the shows I see on my own dime. If you are interested in me reviewing your production email me at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com or message me on instagram.

Bright Star- Sandy Arts Guild, Sandy

I wasn’t able to review Bright Star at Sandy Arts Guild opening night but my friend Jen did it for me and she did a great job. Make sure to check out her review here. Everyone knows this is a show I love and I think the Alice Murphy played by Ashley Shamy was strong and both leads worked best as the older versions of the character. I also was intrigued by the fairly sparse set choices Director Dave Hansen used. For example, the train sequence was just Papa Dobbs with projections behind him. Margot’s bookstore was a cash register and a projection of a bookstore. This is unusual of Sandy Arts Guild who usually have such lush sets so I felt it was an intentional minimalist choice. This show finished its run on October 18th but next up for SAG is The Importance of Being Earnest this January. More information here

The Mousetrap- Lehi Arts Council, Lehi

I love the small pocket theater Lehi Arts Council uses during the school year. I much prefer it to the large auditorium they use in the summer, although I certainly understand why they want the larger capacity for those shows. Still, they rarely miss in their small theatre and their recent production of The Mousetrap is no exception. I’m honestly not the biggest mystery person especially Agatha Christie but this play is so legendary and I had fun with its surprises and reveals. It’s nice to check this classic play off of my blind spot list.

This production was directed by Denise Gull and Kassidy Rackham and they have brought the best out of their cast with them leaning into the campy elements of their characters (which is how I prefer mysteries if I’m going to watch them.) The whole cast does a great job with their accents and they work well together as an ensemble. This show has finished its run but look out for She Loves Me (one of my favorites) coming up next.

Ballet Hispanico- Utah Presents at Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake

I am not a ballet person. Outside of The Nutcracker it’s just not an artform I love even though I appreciate the talent involved. However, I like to shake things up from time-to-time, and I love what they are doing over at Utah Presents. Every couple of weeks they have a special guest with a unique artistic expression or cultural viewpoint. Last month I saw jazz musician Arturo Sandoval and this month I saw the Ballet Hispanico. The latter was more contemporary than I was expecting and they had 3 acts as part of their performance. I must admit it was not my taste but it certainly is well done and if you enjoy modern dance you’d probably love it. More information about Utah Presents can be found here.

Great Expectations- BYU, Provo

When I heard BYU was doing Great Expectations I was immediately intrigued as it is one of my favorite classic novels and it has so many weird aspects it seems perfect for theatrical college students! Unfortunately this production didn’t work for me. I admire much of what they are trying to do. The acting is all on point and the use of the black box space is inventive. The costumes by Dennis Wright are particularly impressive especially Miss Havisham’s wedding dress and her moldy cake (set designers Milinda weeks and Whitney Layton.) Maybe I was just fatigued from a long day/weekend but the adaptation felt laboriously slow and belabored the least interesting aspects of the novel. It takes forever for Pip to even meet Miss Havisham and Isabella. The first Act was close to 90 minutes so I must admit I left at intermission (I never do this if I’m reviewing a show and rarely as a patron.) I felt I had gotten the gist of the show and was worried I’d hit Holy War football traffic if I stayed through Act 2. I am very excited that they also have She Loves Me coming up next which I love! Great Expectations is directed by Alexandra Mackenzie Johns and is playing through November 1st. Tickets can be purchased here.

The Shining- Utah Opera, Salt Lake

Like ballet, I haven’t seen many operas in my day. Of the ones I have seen almost all have been Mozart with a couple other classics like Traviata and Carmen. Aside from Phantom of the Opera, to my memory I have never seen a modern opera in English- that is I hadn’t until this Sunday when I saw Utah Opera’s production of The Shining. This is, of course, based on the Stephen King novel which the movie strays far away from as great as it might be.

I don’t know enough about opera to give a nuanced critique but I really enjoyed seeing this different take on the story. The singing all seemed great to my untrained ear and the use of projections is effective in creating an eerie tone with the ghosts. In fact, I don’t think they needed the ensemble scenes, which felt randomly placed and less scary than the projected ghosts. It probably does help having some familiarity with the story, so we can anticipate certain scenes like the busting through the door or the little boys premonitions. Overall, The Shining in operettic form was a fresh and unique experience I’m glad I was able to see. This production had stage directing and concept designer Geoffrey McDonald with projections by David Murakami. It has finished its run but they have Beethoven’s Fidelio next and more information is here.

So there you have it. Have you seen any of these shows? I’d love to hear your thoughts. What have you been watching at the theater? Let me know in the comments. Thanks to all the talented artists who shared their gifts with me.

Bright Star has music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell with lyrics by Brickell and a book by Martin. It first premiered on Broadway in 2016. The Mousetrap is written by Agatha Christie and first premiered on the West End in 1952 where it has achieved over 30,000 performances and still running. Great Expectations is adapted by Neil Bartlett based on the novel by Charles Dickens. The Shining opera has music by Paul Moravek and a libretto by Mark Campbell based on the novel by Stephen King. It first premiered in 2016.

These logged shows I usually pay for out of pocket, and I’d love to do that as much as possible. If you have a show you’d like me to take a look at and write a full review let me know. I also have my patreon which is a great way to support what I do and get some really fun perks. Find out more here.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 5/29/25-6/3/25 (TOOTSIE, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, DREAMGIRLS) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 141)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! I have a quick log to update with a few of the shows I have been seeing. It’s been a busy time for both theater and film so make sure you are following me on instagram and youtube to get all of the out of theater reactions and updates!

Just a reminder for those new to the site. These logs are quick thoughts of shows I am a patron at not a critic to do a full detailed review. I would love to review any and all of these shows. Just email me at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com. Thanks!

DREAMGIRLS- THE GRAND THEATRE, SALT LAKE

I have to admit if I am going to give a company a pass it is more than likely to be for when I feel they are pushing themselves as a company and when they are presenting me with new and exciting material. While the musical Dreamgirls could in no way be considered a new show it is not performed often in community theatre and so I admire The Grand Theatre for taking it on. Indeed I had never seen this musical previous to their performance and am grateful I had the chance to check it off my musical theatre bucket list. It is also impressive that they had a full live orchestra to back up their performers. One doesn’t expect such a production for under $40.

I do have to say now I have seen it I probably won’t be dying to see Dreamgirls again. The story is just so tired and formulaic that it’s hard to get super excited about it. It’s one of those shows that lives and dies by its lead casting and luckily at The Grand they have a terrific Effie in Quesley Soto. I wish Effie was written with more nuance and less like a soap opera character but she does what she can with the role. Darby Mest is also a standout as fellow Dreamette Lorrell. The rest of the cast is a little more mixed but they are all trying their hardest and there is a nice community spirit amongst the cast, which I appreciate.

Technically speaking Dreamgirls at The Grand is directed well by Latoya Cameron with the musical sequences having the cabaret feel needed for the numbers. However, the real standout is the incredible costumes by Shannon McCullock and her team. I wish I could have one of the sparkly dresses that Effie and the other girls are wearing!

Dreamgirls is playing at The Grand through June 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL- BYU, PROVO

It’s hard to not be charmed by the catchy tunes and energetic nature of High School Musical whether on stage or in the film DCOM. The songs are so much fun and the production at BYU is a great time for the whole family.

What stands out the most is the production elements. The set by Marguerite Morgan looks like something you could find at Disneyland. So bright, colorful and professional. It’s also super cool that they had large screens shaped like cell phones on the side of the stage and had pre-filmed footage commenting on the events (like a Wildcat news update) filmed at the actual East High (advantage of being in Utah I suppose.) The production is directed by Geoffrey Reynolds and he seemingly thought of everything to make this a great show. The only downside is it was very warm in that theatre and some of the singing was weaker than usual for a BYU show.

Still if you are looking for an introductory show for the whole family High School Musical at BYU would be a great pick. I had a great time with it. It plays through June 14th and tickets can be purchased here.

TOOTSIE- EGYPTIAN THEATRE, PARK CITY

Like I said I really appreciate it when companies take chances with new and unique shows here in Utah. This is what got me to go up to Park City to see Tootsie at The Egyptian last week. I had heard mixed reviews of the show when it was on Broadway but I wanted to decide for myself and took the chance to go up there and see it. To my surprise I quite enjoyed the show. I’d even say it’s a little underrated amongst recent Broadway offerings (I liked it better than something highly praised like Kimberly Akimbo so go figure.)

What makes Tootsie work is it’s not afraid to have a genuinely unlikable lead character in Michael Dorsay (Jeremy Gross) and it’s not just a copy and paste from the movie like Mrs Doubtfire. I was surprised how funny I found it and a lot of that goes to the very likable cast including Gross, Caleb Parry as his roommate Jeff and Morgan Parry as Julie. This production is directed by Kyle Esposito and he trusts his talented cast to do their jobs and keeps the staging and choreography simple. I do think this show would have made more sense and been better if it was set in the 80s like the movie. So many of the elements including modern gender roles and communication (social media) do not make sense for 2025. Set it in 1982 it’s immediately funnier and more insightful.

That said, I did enjoy it more than I was expecting. Unfortunately Tootsie has finished its run but you can find out more about The Egyptian here.

Dreamgirls has book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. High School Musical is based on the DCOM written by Peter Barsocchini with book by David Simpatico, music adapted by Bryan Louiselle and songs by a variety of writers. Tootsie has music and lyrics by David Yazbek with a book by Robert Horn.

These logged shows I pay for out of pocket and I’d love to do that as much as possible. If you have a show you’d like me to take a look at and write a full review let me know. I also have my patreon which is a great way to support what I do and get some really fun perks. Find out more here.

IT’S A GOOD SHOW AT THE EMPRESS WITH ‘YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN’ (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s interesting how a show can evolve over time for me as a patron and critic. When I first saw You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown I wasn’t that excited by it and found it kind of dull and lifeless. Then I saw it recently with the Silver Haired edition at the Covey and it really opened my mind up to the power of the show (and just in doing a show in a completely different way.) Now I have seen it a third time at The Empress and I’m growing to really love this show! I can see why I first found it to be boring because it doesn’t have a strong narrative but I appreciate it now for the series of sweet vignettes it is. If you want to check out this unique musical this production at The Empress seemingly thinks of everything and is a wonderful night of theatre for the whole family.

The most outstanding aspect of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at The Empress is them getting a 7 piece band for the show. That is extremely impressive for a community theatre production which only charges $20 a ticket. And the band led by conductor Amanda Robinson is good particularly saxophonist Spencer Leyva-Cardenas. It adds such a layer to the experience to have live music and I wish more local theaters would support local musicians like the Empress did.

Director Emma Hallett has also assembled a talented cast. Often at The Empress there are a couple performers who are learning, which is fine (it’s amateur community theater after all!), however that isn’t the case with this Charlie Brown cast. Of the 11 in the main cast all hold their own in both the singing and choreography. Sonny Payne is innocent and sweet as Charlie Brown but Gweny Adams as Lucy Van Pelt is the biggest standout. I loved her in the crabbiness survey scenes and singing “Little Known Facts” with such confidence and humor.

The choreography by Gracie George and the direction takes advantage of the unusual shape of The Empress’ stage going into the audience and even interacting with the band on occasion asking for the conductors opinions on things, which is a lot of fun. The props such as Snoopy’s doghouse and Lucy’s psychiatrist booth are also just what you want for these iconic characters.

Most importantly they keep the energy moving at The Empress. I imagine the live band helps with that because it can feed off of the energy and pacing of the performers where an audio track cannot. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown would be a great way to introduce little kids to live theatre. It will charm and entertain them and give a few topics for conversation on the drive home (like how should we treat people, and what do we do to tell others we love them etc.) It is playing through May 31st and definitely worth your time. Tickets can be purchased here.

You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown has music and lyrics by Clark Gesner with a book by John Gordon and a revision by Andrew Lippa.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

OMG YOU GUYS! ‘LEGALLY BLONDE’ IS GREAT AT HERITAGE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

One of the slightly unfair parts of theatre criticism is there are just some shows I like better than others. I still try and be as objective as possible when looking at any piece of theatre or film but I’m still human and have my preferences. One of my favorites is definitely Legally Blonde: The Musical. Over the years there have been so many movies turned into Broadway musicals and outside of Hairspray, Legally Blonde is the best. I absolutely adore it and the new production at Heritage Theatre in Perry does Elle and her story proud. Definitely take the time to see it if you are anywhere nearby.

If you didn’t know Legally Blonde tells the story of Elle Woods- the fashion merchandising student who ends up at Harvard Law School to try and win back her boyfriend after she is dumped by him. At Heritage I saw the Rufus cast (the casts are the same except for the 3 leads Elle, Emmett and Paulette) with Janelle Wiser playing Elle, Tyler O’Bagy as Emmett and Casie Littlefield as Paulette. All 3 are a ton of fun in their roles and Wiser and O’Bagy have a nice chemistry as our lead couple. Wiser brings the warmth and bubbly energy one needs for Elle and she makes her easy to root for.

This production is directed by Mike and Lindy Combe and they have done a great job getting the most out of each of their castmembers. It’s not perfect but a charming piece of community theater. I think what I like most about Legally Blonde as a musical is how positive and truly funny it is. It makes it completely rewatchable. If I can find the time to drive up to Perry (over an hour drive for me) I may even come back and see the other cast.

One of the most impressive aspects of Legally Blonde at Heritage is the hand-painted sets by Jess Tarbet. The last few times I’ve seen this show it has been primarily projection sets which is fine but I love hand-painted sets. Maybe it’s nostalgia talking but it just adds to the creativity of a production. They even have an RV background for the scene when they get Rufus from Dewey and that is only in the show for a few minutes. I thought they would at least do a projection for that scene but they didn’t.

The costumes are mostly great by Amber Beecher especially on the Greek chorus in their various color-coordinated looks. The only exception is Elle’s bunny outfit either didn’t fit Wiser right or the fabric is too slippery because it kept getting lower and lower to the point I was worried she might have a wardrobe malfunction. She didn’t but that’s something they could work on for the next show.

There are also times the sound-mix wasn’t quite right and the music overwhelmed the actors but again that’s something they can keep working on throughout the run of the show. Other than that Legally Blonde: the Musical at Heritage is a charming piece of community theatre. It does have some mature content (pg13ish) but if you are in the area I definitely recommend giving this pink underdog of a show a chance. It is playing through May 10th and tickets can be purchased here.

Legally Blonde: the Musical has music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin with a book by Heather Hach. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the MGM film (2001.)

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

‘A CHORUS LINE’ AT WVA IS ONE SHOW NOT TO BE MISSED DESPITE A CHALLENGING STAGE (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s funny. I would never call A Chorus Line underrated as it is a classic of musical theatre, but I do feel like it isn’t mentioned as much as it should be in discussions of the greatest shows of all time. It’s certainly one of my favorites. I love how honest and authentic it feels. Written in 1975 based on interviews done of Broadway chorus members it feels like something that could be released new now and not feel outdated one bit. West Valley Arts is putting on this landmark show and while their theater-in-the-round does cause some challenges it is still well worth your time.

If you are unfamiliar with A Chorus Line it takes a group of dancers auditioning for a chorus role in a Broadway show and tells their individual stories (again based on real interviews.) There isn’t a traditional plot like we usually have in musicals but is more of a what we call in the film world ‘slice of life’ narrative. We as the audience are a fly on the wall watching these people audition and learning about their life.

It is this voyeuristic aspect of this show that make many of co-director/choreographers Izzy Arrieta and Ben Roeling’s choices so brilliant. I particularly loved having director in the show Zach (Joseph Spear) mostly a voice from above calling out orders to our dancers. In many ways Zach is us and speaks for the audience making when he does step on to the stage extra impactful.

Another effective directorial moment is the opening number “I Hope I Get It” we are introduced to each character with the actors holding up their headshots to Zach’s voice from above but again it made it feel like they were each auditioning for us and we were going to be the ones judging them worthy or not.

The casting for this production of A Chorus Line is across the board outstanding. I would challenge any non-equity theater across the nation to produce such an incredibly talented group of dancers, actors and singers. It’s hard to pick a favorite because they are all impressive but Angel Martinez as Paul (I honestly believe Paul’s Act 2 monologue to be one of the most stirring monologues in musical theatre history and he performs it with heart and soul), Heather White as the jaded Sheila, and Annie Jones as the tone-deaf but very funny Kristine are the standouts.

It being an audition environment the sets and costuming are simple so it’s the performances and the choreography by Arrieta and Roeling that give the production its flavor. I love how each performer has unique choreography while all still working together to make the iconic kicklines of the show. Again, we are put in the position of Zach and can see who he should and should not pick.

The problem with WVA is that the theater-in-the-round setup is a challenging space for A Chorus Line. I wish the directors had used the aisles and the platforms around the stage for some of the solos to stretch things out into the audience. It is a reality of this stage that some of the time the performers will be facing away from us as an audience. This is a major barrier for A Chorus Line because we can’t see what the dancers are doing. We can’t look into their faces and see their expressions. I wish I could lift this cast and choreography onto a traditional stage so I could see what was happening at all times. There are times when theater-in-the-round is an advantage making the audience surrounded by the experience but for A Chorus Line where there so often is a literal line of actors it’s problematic.

That said, I don’t think this downside is enough to throw off the many positives in A Chorus Line at WVA. It’s a stirring look into the lives of performers and just people with their hopes and dreams. Plus, there are some terrific tunes and dance sequences well performed. A Chorus Line is playing at WVA through May 3rd and tickets can be purchased here. Don’t be the one to miss out!

A Chorus Line features music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kieban and a book by James Kirkwood Jr and Nicholas Dante.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

‘YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN’ AT COVEY TAKES A FRESH LOOK AT CLASSIC BY GOING SENIOR

| Rachel's Reviews

Last year I saw a production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and was honestly underwhelmed with the material. It wasn’t bad but not as funny or endearing as I was expecting. I think I was anticipating a laugh riot similar to Spelling Bee (which of course was much later but a similar dynamic) and it’s just not that kind of show. Still I didn’t have a great desire to see it again but then Covey Center for the Arts in Provo announced they were doing a special revised version of the material and I was intrigued. The new production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown takes the show and makes slight alterations but has it cast with senior citizen actors giving the musical a whole new level of heart and soul. I really loved this production and I hope readers make time in their schedule to see it.

This season at The Covey they’ve been doing a terrific job of using the black box stage to its advantage. Whether it’s the creepy closeness of Woman in Black or the cramped apartment of Barefoot in the Park. Now for Charlie Brown director Heidi Mendez with scenic designer Robert Sealy have recreated the iconic Peanuts world to create an immersive experience. Of course they have Snoopy’s iconic red house but also a background box that turns from a mantlepiece to a sofa with ease. Jessica Moody has also recreated our team’s signature looks with adorable costumes.

The cast is drawn from some of Utah’s most well known theatre and screen stars with James Arlington leading things off as Charlie Brown. He is very endearing in the role and captures Charlie’s signature melancholy disposition as he tries to impress the red-headed girl and make friends. Peggy Matheson gets the best song of the night with “My New Philosophy” and Jayne Luke is hilarious as Snoopy (you can tell she is having a ball playing a dog at her age!)

Naturally as this show is about children much of the dialogue is about growing up so it’s an interesting experience to hear those kids-lines spoken by older actors. For example, when Charlie Brown says “I wonder if anyone would even notice if I got out of bed today.” That line rings different said by a senior citizen who is more likely to be under-visited and left alone. When Charlie see’s Snoopy getting more valentines than he did one can’t help but think of nursing home residents with little to no mail or signs of love from loved ones.

I honestly think one would have to be really cynical to not enjoy Covey’s You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I did find the whole marketing push of it being a reunion to be a little confusing as the actors had never done it before but whatever. It’s so endearing and fun you can’t help but be charmed by the evening of fun. Plus, it’s not that long so you don’t go home fatigued. You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown plays through May 3rd and tickets can be purchased here. Take the whole family. You’ll have a blast!

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown has music and lyrics by Clark Gesner with a book by John Gordon and a 1999 revision by Andrew Lippa

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 3/30-4/11 (JERSEY BOYS, RIDE THE CYCLONE) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 120)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! I hope you are doing well and having a great time enjoying community theatre near you. I have 2 shows to do my quick logs for you tonight. These logs are my thoughts on shows I saw as a patron not as a formal critic. I would love to review as many local shows as possible so if you are interested contact me on social media or at rachelsreviews65@gmail.com and we can get that set up.

JERSEY BOYS- THE RUTH, PLEASANT GROVE

First up we have Jersey Boys at The Ruth. This is the iconic jukebox musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons that set the standard for this type of biographical jukebox musical. I really enjoyed a production I saw at Pioneer Theatre last Fall but that was the full version whereas this is the edited version, which I didn’t like as much. Nevertheless, I actually do think it was a bold show for the Ruth to pick and I was alarmed at how many empty seats there were the night I was in attendance.

Despite lacking the edge to make it feel more authentic this is still an entertaining night of theatre. I particularly think the second act of Jersey Boys is effective. I love the sense of humor it has (jukebox musicals can be overly serious sometimes when showing us these people’s dramatic lives.) This production at The Ruth is directed by David Morgan and the 4 men have a nice chemistry together with nice harmonies for the many songs they are required to sing. It took me a bit to warm up to Kristian Huff as Frankie Valli and his version of the falsetto but it grew on me. Brock Dalgleish plays Tommy, David Matthew Smith is Bob and Bronson Dameron is Nick the night I was there. They are all excellent in their roles and in the harmonies together. I also really liked The Angels when they sang “My Boyfriend’s Back”

The set by Danny Rash moves easily between the different time periods. The lighting by Michael Gray is immersive and colorful and overall the whole thing went off without a hitch. Jersey Boys is playing until May 10th and tickets can be purchased here. If any of you have seen the authentic vs the cleaned up version let me know which one you prefer?

RIDE THE CYCLONE- WESTMINSTER UNIVERSITY, SALT LAKE

I had honestly never heard of the musical Ride the Cyclone before but I always like to try out new shows so when I saw it was playing at local Westminster University I decided to give it a shot. While in the end it wasn’t a show for me I always love supporting the students and their efforts.

The setup for this musical is fairly simple. A tragic accident in an amusement park has 7 teens to the afterlife and now they must decide which one of them deserves a chance back at earth. This reminded me of many other shows like Beetlejuice, Assassins, Our Town and even Cats. Each character gets their own segment and the actors are all talented and charismatic. The highlight is Jane Doe played by Chloe Mizantzidi who goes from belt to opera with ease in her “The Ballad of Jane Doe” number.

In a way my problem with Ride the Cyclone is a little unfair. The night I attended was sold out, which is great, but the boisterous crowd was ready to laugh at seemingly anything. Don’t get me wrong there are some chuckles but the show is also trying to say something about life and death and the laughter from the audience seemed to not appreciate those more thoughtful moments. As the night continued I became increasingly annoyed as it was clear those around me had come to cheer on their friends and not see a piece of theatre. I felt like I could barely appreciate the dialogue that was actually funny because I was distracted trying to figure out why people were laughing at a sad story being told. By the end, I was so annoyed that I was eager for it to be over and ready to head home.

This production of Ride the Cyclone is directed by Mark Fossen and has an incredible set design by Spencer Potter. The final performance is tomorrow 4/12 and tickets can be purchased here.

Jersey Boys features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice featuring music by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Ride the Cyclone has music, lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell.

These logged shows I pay for out of pocket and I’d love to do that as much as possible. If you have a show you’d like me to take a look at and write a full review let me know. I also have my patreon which is a great way to support what I do and get some really fun perks. Find out more here.

‘BRIGHT STAR’ AT DRAPER HISTORIC DOES RIGHT BY THIS FAN (REVIEW)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s no big surprise to my readers that I am a huge fan of the musical Bright Star. I think after 2 recent viewings at Draper Historic Theatre I have seen it 15 times. That said, just because I love a piece doesn’t mean I’ll give a company a complete pass when I go to review a production. In fact, when I heard Draper Historic Theatre was putting the show on I was especially excited because they selected Mindi Eckroth to direct and I had previously seen her production at the Empress where just about everything that could go wrong went wrong. I was happy she could get some redemption and she did.

There are a lot of reasons I love Bright Star (with music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, lyrics by Brickell and book by Martin) but mostly it is completely entertaining while still having huge heart and soul. I absolutely love the music and it’s the all-around emotional experience- it will make you cry, laugh, smile, and want to sing along. It’s a perfectly calibrated musical when it comes to the emotions it drags out of the audience.

I saw both casts at DHT and while I enjoyed both the MThS cast has the slight edge. Alexa Thompson as Alice and Isaac Carrillo as Jimmy have terrific chemistry and Josiah Johnson has a youthful look about him that fits the character of Billy very well.

As good as the actors are it’s the transformation of the DHT stage that surprised me bringing down the 2 side columns of the stage creating a good 2 feet on each side that could be filled with a 2-story platform for the bluegrass band, which was another highlight (Marie Buhler band conductor.)

The choreography by Sam Stowell is another standout with ensemble members frequently pulling off lifts and other elaborate skills I couldn’t hope to achieve. Plus, to have so many actors dancing on such a small stage is an accomplishment.

If by some miracle you haven’t seen Bright Star yet I highly recommend heading out to Draper Historic Theatre to check out this wonderful musical well told by a fantastic community theatre group. I brought my friend Stanford who’d never seen it before and he loved it (how could you not?) It’s one of the great American musicals and a wonderful version of it to watch and enjoy. It never gets old! Bright Star is playing through April 19th and tickets can be purchased here.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks. Please take a look here. For the record I paid for one of these tickets and received one as a comp.

UTAH THEATRE LOG 3/8-3/29 (MAN OF LA MANCHA, THE PAJAMA GAME, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE STING) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 114)

| Rachel's Reviews

It’s always fun when I get to check off a few shows off of my bucket list, which is what I was able to do recently with 2 recent local shows. Plus, I was able to see a superb version of a classic so it’s been a fun March in Utah theatre.

MAN OF LA MANCHA- KENSINGTON THEATRE, SOUTH JORDAN

First up, we have Man of La Mancha at Kensington Theatre. I was really looking forward to this as it is a classic show I’d never seen and the team at Kensington did not disappoint.

Director Toni Butler has become a friend of mine and she always does a wonderful job at getting the best out of her community theatre cast and crew. I honestly think the team at Kensington is very underrated in the area. What’s especially impressive for their mainstage shows (not the black box like recent Shrek) is they have a full orchestra that’s actually in a pit in the ground of the stage. Obviously I’ve seen many orchestra pits in my day but never one that is actually in a pit. I always get a kick out of that and it’s just super impressive for a small company like Kensington to have live music for all their shows (orchestra director Michelle Willis)

The music is the big star of Man of La Mancha with many classic songs like “The Impossible Dream” “Dulcinea” and “I’m Only Thinking of Him.” The set at Kensington by art director Logan Bingham is stunning with 1600’s Spain created with adobe-looking buildings with multiple levels for actors to sit on. Gil Murdock is charismatic as Don Quixote/ Miguel de Cervantes and Karllen Johnson is a feisty Aldonza/Dulcinea.

My main critique of this production (aside from it being a little slow moving) is I wish they had worked in more choreography into the piece. There are a lot of scenes where the large ensemble is sitting where some movement might have livened things up a little. Unfortunately Man of La Mancha has finished its run but the teens are doing Little Shop of Horrors which you can find more information about here.

Man of La Mancha has music by Mitch Leigh, lyrics by Joe Darion and a book by Dale Wasserman

THE PAJAMA GAME- TERRACE PLAZA PLAYHOUSE, OGDEN

Next up we have a comedy I had never seen before. It’s The Pajama Game put on by Terrace Plaza Playhouse in Ogden. While there are outdated relationship aspects of this musical it does have some memorable tunes and a story about labor that many people will be able to connect with.

Terrace Plaza is an amateur community theatre so there are plenty of imperfections, but I commend them for picking such a unique choice. They are a company usually known for their family-friendly offerings but this piece has more of an edge to it along with some very catchy tunes. Director Melissa Trenery gets all she can out of her cast and Blaine Hickman was my favorite playing Sid. Jamila Lowe and Jim Tatton also did excellent work with the 50s inspired costumes. The Pajama Game is playing through April 5th and tickets can be purchased here.

The Pajama Game features music and lyrics by Richard Alder and Jerry Ross with a book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell

THE SOUND OF MUSIC- CENTERPOINT LEGACY, CENTERVILLE

Watching The Sound of Music at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre made me wish the company was more open to having critics at their shows so I could write a full detailed review and not just this log. I know it’s a risk for them, but I really do have so much I could say in a longer review. This production was remarkable and I highly recommend it to anyone in the area.

The cast is all excellent in this production with Emily Henwood and Clay Rockwood sporting incredible chemistry as Maria and the Captain. The true star, however, is the set design by Truxton Moulton. I love the choice to have a continual background of the mountains where it would have been much easier to have a projection screen. The characters are constantly surrounded by mountains which makes sense metaphorically and especially triumphant when they literally climb the mountain of the set at the end (brilliant.)

Director Kristin Pettingill Callor also makes the bold choice to show German 1940s film reels throughout including a speech by Adolph Hitler before the big concert sequence. What a ballsy choice for a company to make for a show usually seen as squeaky clean children’s fare. It is an astonishing moment and brings home the gravity of the concert I have never seen before (even the movie isn’t so tense.) Centerpoint once again proves itself to be an incredible company and I highly recommend seeing The Sound of Music while you have the chance. I guarantee this will be on my best of the year list for 2025. It is playing through April 24 and tickets can be purchased here.

The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.

THE STING- PARKER THEATRE, SALT LAKE

Going into The Sting at Parker Theatre I wasn’t sure what I was going to get. There is a musical by Bob Martin of Drowsy Chaperone fame but this a play (an original adaptation I believe but no adapter is credited in the playbill just the writer of the Oscar winning film David S Ward.) While crime stories aren’t my favorite this is a slick and very well made production at Parker one any fan of the genre will love.

The story of this production did feel a little scattered and all over the place director Joanne Parker keeps the energy from sagging with thrilling fight sequences and loud gunshots that are very exciting. The cast is across the board on a professional level with Spencer Hohl owning every scene he is in as Johnny Hooker (the Robert Redford role in the film.) It says something to the depth of talent in Utah that the Parker was able to get so many talented men for the show. Not a weak link in the bunch.

Hohl does the sound design at Parker and it is always a highlight. I hope for a rain scene in every show I see there because it is so immersive and it is here. The costumes by Rebecca Fenton are also outstanding. No detail in the 1930s aesthetic has been left out from the period accurate hats to the shoes (a small thing but I loved how Hooker put his hat on his foot whenever he was sitting down. It’s that attention to detail I so admire at Parker.)

Like I said this kind of story isn’t really my thing but it’s so well done I heartily recommend checking out The Sting at Parker Theatre. I saw it opening night so there’s still tons of time to see it through May 3rd. Tickets can be purchased here.

So there you have it. Logs for 4 recent shows here in Utah. If you get a chance to see any of them let me know what you think. Enjoy!

These logged shows I pay for out of pocket and I’d love to do that as much as possible. If you have a show you’d like me to take a look at and write a full review let me know. I also have my patreon which is a great way to support what I do and get some really fun perks. Find out more here.